To honor thy mother and father

[Miigwech]

I think that this saying from the Bible can only refer to us as grown children. As adult children we must honor them by granting our parents safe passage into the next life, forgiving them for the things that that they did, or failed to do for us, their children. It does not mean that we have to follow our parents every wish in life. It only means that we, as the child, must prepare the way for peaceful death. If you have ever been next to dying mother or father, that is all they want to know....... They don't care about the minutiae of daily life, they only want to know that we love them and that we acknowledge that they did their best ( dealing with the reality of life). So, honor thy mother and father at the end, but never feel guilty for following your own path.

[shenmue]

1. I think that's on the right track

I thought it meant to bring honor to your family name, and to take care of your parents, if and when they need help.

[Miigwech]

2. I think that

to honor means to honor their lives, to understand, forgive our parents faults, as adult children (with age and wisdom) we become their parents, in a sense. Our parents become our children ... wierd, but this is the proper evolution of life .... it teaches us so much. I feel so sorry for those that had such a terrible childhood and can never forgive their parents .... or those with a terrible childhood that will never know their parents .... maybe those individuals can find peace, I hope.

[shenmue]

3. Amen

[Warren Stupidity]

4. You'd better, or else.

And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

just so you know.

[rug]

11. That follows condemnations of the god Molek.

Last edited Thu Apr 23, 2015, 07:39 PM - Edit history (1)

just so you know.

Keep fighting those 3800 year old fights, Warren.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. I'm sure you think you've made a point.

[rug]

13. As did you.

[Warren Stupidity]

16. did so.

[cbayer]

5. I like the way you put that.

Respect may be the bottom line, but I love your take on easing their transition and assuring them that they did the best they could.

[Act_of_Reparation]

6. I guess all those Old Testament exhortations to honor your parents as you honor God Himself...

...were mistakes, then.

After two and a half millennia, we now know what God meant to say in the first place.

[cbayer]

7. Which verses are you referring to?

[trotsky]

8. Convenient how that works, eh?

Just interpret it the way you want to, declare it what god meant, and you're good to go.

Best part is, anybody can do it. Liberal, conservative, and everything in between. It's all equally supported in a revealed religion!

[Act_of_Reparation]

9. It's pretty sad, actually.

People read the Bible and find it unpalatable. Instead of accepting the obvious--that the book is simply the collected oral traditions of Bronze Age sheep herders and is very much a product of the time--they try to "rehabilitate" the text.

What we have here is an idea, from the mind of a human being, that is far superior to what is read in the Bible. Why can't they leave it at that? Does it have to be the word of God to have any moral legitimacy?

[trotsky]

10. "Does it have to be the word of God to have any moral legitimacy?"

For some people, yes it does. Thus one of the central problems of religion.

[OriginalGeek]

14. I'm not convined my mother and step-father did their best

but I am convinced that religion was why they didn't.


I cried at my mom's funeral, in spite of everything, but when step-asshole goes, I think I might finally be rid of that emotional anchor and it will be a happy day.

[Miigwech]

17. Doing their best

does not mean that they succeded in doing what was best for you. That is the difference. Hardly ever are there any happy endings in this world because life is to complicated. Do we ever know what life experiencies shape another person? Those fragmented bits can display themselvels in cruelty - beyond what we can indure.. But once a life is over I think it best to forgive ..... because we are really doing it for ourselves, who are still living. This will honor them in some small way but the point is not to begrudge that because if will only give you peace and free you from their grasp. I don't want to sound like some kind of religious preacher because I am not - find your own way to peace. BTW I am not a believer in any organized religion.

[carolinayellowdog]

15. Although I don't share my parents' religious beliefs...

I think they gained a sense of community through their churches and honor their desire to serve the community. Methodism was too bland and ordinary to hold my attention for long, but I have no regrets about a Methodist upbringing and only fond memories of the church ladies and gentlemen. Can't help wondering how much negative vs. positive feelings towards one's family (and church) of origin determine the friendly vs. unfriendly feelings unbelievers have towards believers.

This goes back for many generations, in that abolitionism and Unionism run as threads through both parents' southern families. How can one not "honor" the memory of southerners who struggled against the racist current to fight against slavery and for the Union? Doesn't require accepting the Quaker and Baptist beliefs that motivated their principled stand, to admire them for it. But everyone's mileage varies, and I'm coming to a resigned acceptance that many unbelievers had far worse experiences with religious families than I did, and are striking out against religion in general and even religion-friendly unbelievers, to get back at them.

[Miigwech]

18. I hear what you are saying

but that was then and this is now .... organized religion refuses to move forward with the progression of humanity. They represent bigotry, close mindedness and authorization control. If one really thinks about it, people today are really responding to the true teachings of love and acceptance, found in the heart, of all humans. If a religion fails to relinquish its perverse control of the human heart, then it will be doomed. When a religion says that you should deny your child (or have an honor killing) because they are gay or pregnant out of wedlock, most modern humans think this is wrong. Also, most humans now have a skeptical view of anyone who claims that they know what god wants ... spirituality is personal and every organized religion does not get this fact.

[MellowDem]

19. Your take on this...

Is much better and more moral than the Bible, IMHO.